Typically a child will first visit a dentist or dental hygienist when approximately three years old or older. Yet infants and toddlers are susceptible to tooth decay and gum ailments just as are older children and adults. Even in a toothless infant's mouth plaque is produced in the aerobic fashion. To preserve healthy teeth and gums it is essential to remove plaque as it develops.
Conventional straight-handled toothbrushes formed to child proportions are available which permit plaque to be removed by mechanical means. Such toothbrushes may be effective if used by an adult on the infant or child, but are too difficult to manipulate for an infant and present dangers of injury to an unsupervised toddler. The narrow, stiff handle of a conventional toothbrush permits the brush head and handle to be inserted entirely into the mouth of the child, possibly resulting in the lodgement of the brush in the child's throat or otherwise causing damage to the child's mouth. Because of these possible dangers a child may not safely be permitted to utilize the conventional toothbrush unsupervised, particularly while walking, playing or falling.
Toothbrushes having graspable ringlike handles with outwardly extending horizontal brush head are known which make manipulation by younger children possible, but these brushes still present the dangers of over-insertion into the child's mouth.
Chewable teething rings to assist teething children are known, but these do not contribute to the removal of plaque from a child's teeth and gums.
What is needed is a single implement that may be used safely and without supervision by infants and young children and which will assist tooth eruption and removal of plaque.